What One Year Of Blogging Has Taught Me

I recently got a notification from WordPress that I have been blogging for a year now! Technically, I created my blog a year ago but I only started actively blogging 3 months ago. I have experienced a lot of ups and downs during these past 3 months and I think it would be lovely to share what one year of blogging had taught me so far.

Starting this blog a year ago was a really exciting time for me. I never imagined that I would be here a year later with over 1600 subscribers and my own self hosted blog. It has definitely been a learning curve but I wouldn’t change it for the world! I hope you enjoy reading some of the things I learnt as much as I loved writing this!

What One Year Of Blogging Has Taught Me…

Blogging is not as easy as it seems

That perfect flatlay and glamorous pictures you see on blogs have probably been taken a 100 times to look just right. Before I started blogging, I used to think people just empty the contents of their makeup bag and everything falls beautifully in place. I didn’t understand why mine looked like a hot mess. It takes a lot of effort and hours to plan posts, write it, take pictures and promote it. Blogging can easily turn into a full-time job! You have to be consistent and diligent and always try to improve. It’s not easy, but definitely worth it. So far!

If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to scrap it

When I first started blogging I couldn’t decide on what niche I wanted to blog about. So I started with many niches like music, movies, books, fashion, makeup, travelling and lifestyle. I started posting and I quickly realised that people did not like reading my independent posts about music, books and movies. So I deleted all those posts and I slowly dwindled down my topics to things that people liked. I listened to my readers and acted accordingly.

I think its okay to not blog about everything. Even if you love everything like me LOL. I think my opinion is more valued in certain areas than others, which is great! It allows my thoughts to be more targeted and my quality to be better. Don’t be afraid to adapt especially when you are starting out because you have we have so much lee way for change now!

Shamelessly promote your blog

A lot of people feel shy about sharing their blog posts but it is one of the best ways for people to find your blog. I am not saying that you should be that annoying, spammy blogger, but doing things like sharing your posts once social media and leaving your blog link at the end of comments is a great way to get your blog out there. If you feel uncomfortable about sharing your posts with people you know you can carve out an entirely separate community of strangers to share your posts with. For example, I now have a separate Instagram page where I am striving to grow a community of like-minded people different from followers on my personal page!

Interact with the blogging community

Interacting with other people is so important when you’re a blogger. It’s not enough to just publish posts and sit and wait for something to happen. I make sure to reply to every single person that took the time to comment on my post. Doing this helps build relationships with the people that read your posts! Also, do not be afraid to comment on other people’s posts, share their blog post, like them or follow them on Instagram. When you comment, try to leave thoughtful comments. Simply commenting “Nice” or “Great post” does not count. It shows you didn’t read a word of the persons post. Truly interacting really makes your blogging experience so much better!

This is one of the best tips for growing any social media site; posting often, striving for quality content and interacting with the community!

Be yourself

I think it’s perfectly okay to derive inspiration from another person because almost everything under the sun has been blogged about. I think what makes a post unique in particular is the fact that it is your unique perspective. That is why it is important to be honest and be yourself. It is so exhausting trying to act like something you are not and I think people can pick up on that. On the flip side, it is so liberating when people embrace unique aspects of your personality that you may think are weird or not good enough. That can be what makes you stand out!

I’m definitely still a baby blogger and I have no idea what I am doing 99.999 percent of the time so these are just some of the things I have learnt so far! I also have no idea what I’m going to do when I move into a self hosted site. And what in heavens name is SEO and HTML? This is uncharted territory. LOL wish me luck and fingers crossed that I appear graceful admist the madness!

You have some great tips here! I’ve been blogging here for a little over a year now, and the worst thing for me is to find time for it! I had full time studies mon-fri + the additional homework, so it was really hard for me to find time to even put makeup on just for myself! haha
If you want to succeed you definitely need to put time and effort in your blog, which at times can be really hard when you are dealing with “the real life” next to it.
I previously had a blog on here but it was a total fail! It was not the type of content I wanted to create and it failed me haha
So what I learnt from that is to blog about what you are passionate about, and in a way you can express yourself!

I totally agree. Finding time to blog can be very challenging. I’m in awe of those people that can blog everyday. I wonder how I will juggle blogging and my studies once I begin my Masters! 😓😓 I hope I can be consistent lool. And doing what you enjoy is equally important because even if it gets difficult you are still passionate to continue!

I have also been blogging a little over year now and I agree with you. I have learned many of these things you mentioned. Especially that blogging is harder than it looks part… It took me long time to realize that I have to be active all the time and answer to comments and not just post once a week and do nothing else. But I think I learn new things every day and that’s one of the reasons I love blogging. Great post! 😀

Haha same here! I used to just post once a week and leave my blog. Then come back confused as to why only one person had read my post in 3 days 😂😂 it was so confusing. I’m glad I’m over that now! Being active has seriously made blogging so interesting for me and you are also right about learning new things everyday. We are constantly improving and that is the fun of it!

Same here! I didn’t know I would spend all my free time blogging and promoting it’s actually amazing and not what I expected. But it is so great watching your progress as you do so. Thank you so much for the lovely comment 💕💕

Pearl, I wish you good luck in blogging.
I run my blog already six year, and sometimes, I don’t have enough perseverance to write again and again.
I think every blogger must know for sure why he/she do it. Is it only for pleasure or something more? A right answer helps to continue.

Thank you! I really, really need it 😂
I also think it is amazing how you’ve been blogging for so long. I agree with finding the reason why you want to blog. I don’t think it is a question I have a concrete answer to yet. I am definitely still figuring it out as I go along but I will begin to find my “why” in this next blogging year. Thank you so much for the tip! 🙂

Your posts look so well put together it’s hard to believe it’s not easy for you. I always look forward to reading from you. I’m currently blogging about everything and I haven’t been able to figure out what niche to stick with. It’s definitely not easy but I’m loving it.

Girl don’t be deceived by this front I am a hot mess behind the scenes 😂😂😂
Keep blogging about different stuff and watch your stats while you do so. It will soon become clearer which posts people like to read on your blog.
I’m glad I could help ❤️

Thank you for your genuineness in this post. About finding fulfilment in sharing the things you never thought were cool and getting great responses is so true to me. Shamelessly promoting your post is depressing sometimes because it sounds like you are whining…lol. I enjoyed reading this post though. Congrats on one year of blogging. All the best in all that is to come.

You are very welcome dear I’m glad I could help 💕💕! I think a balance should be struck when promoting posts. I only share my blog posts once or twice at most on social media so it does not look like I am spamming. A lot of people don’t share posts so it’s really essential that they do.
Also, I think it will be good to let go of the mindset of commenting on someone’s posts because you want them to notice your blog. A lot of the people’s posts I comment on do not often do not go back to my blog. It doesn’t stop me, I really don’t care. Lmao I’m commenting because I liked the content genuinely and if they happen to like my blog too, even better for me.

If they do not like your blog enough to show support I don’t think it’s a bad thing either, just find the people that will. There are millions upon millions of people that will love you out there and support your blog fully. Don’t let a few people get you down! ❤️❤️

Yay for #yearone aka three months 😆. To be honest, I too didn’t know blogging took so much effort. I was seriously shook when I found my self taking hours am even days just for one post. 😳😳.
Moreover, I didn’t even know there’s a whole “community” out there. Man! I’ve learnt so much. Just waiting for my 3rd month to write mine. Phew! Meanwhile, you write so beautifully

Hahaha same I literally spend all my free time doing blog related stuff it’s ridiculous! And same I never knew there were so many bloggers like me I think it’s really cool. We’re like our own little community! Thank you so much for the lovely comment girl 😘

Congrats on one year!! That’s amazing Pearl. I definitely agree with your points, especially about being yourself. It seems like too much effort to try constantly be someone else in your blogging, and people will tell if you’re not being genuine. Just write about what you want to write and you’ll find your community through that 😀

LOL at emptying a makeup purse and expecting everything to fall into place. Honestly, I used to think that too😂. I think you’re doing an amazing job with your blog. Some points you made got me thinking seriously. I have to get serious about sticking to a niche. Also, I have to work on interacting with fellow bloggers, though it’s a struggle for me😩. I shared some lessons I’ve learnt from blogging recently. Congratulations!!!

Congrats on getting the hang on blogging, I have been blogging for a year plus and consistency is my biggest challenge however blogging has helped improve my confidence in my abilities and I am no longer shy of telling people about my blog.

I definitely agree, I learned to be active on social media and connect with other bloggers. Blogging is not easy at all, the flat lays take a lot of work and so does the whole process behind blogging posts. I’m clueless on SEOs and html’s myself, it’s a whole other world. In blogging, I learned to connect with small businesses to promote their products and collaborate with other bloggers.

Oooo I think you should do a post about that! I have no idea on how to collaborate with businesses and bloggers! Hopefully I can get the hang of that. It’s a learning process but I love the improvement we all inevitably make when we are consistent 🙆🏾

I think blogging has taught me the impact and necessity that being consistent on social media can have and also just the need to always be interacting with people. In the past, I would just thinking putting out a post with a few good tags is enough but really, in a place & time where there are so many other people posting, it’s way easy to get hidden. On another note, I certainly agree that blogging is NOT easy ( quite a worthy time consumption, though)!

This helps a lot. I have to admit, I’ve been one of those people that post and sit around waiting for views. But I’ve started making some changes. It’s really hard given that my blog is just basically reflections on life. But this post has given me a few ideas on how to make progress. Thank you so much.http://www.musingsinnirvana.wordpress.com

Congrats on 1 year of blogging being so close to 1,000 followers.
I love this post and the advice you gave! I’ve learned to be open about sharing my blog on my own social media, mainly because it is mine. I agree you don’t want to be annoying, but there is something others love about other confident people who have something good to say. I am so surprised by how amazing the blog community is on WordPress, so I am learning how to interact with others, find other bloggers, and stay up with everything. I am growing to love this space. Anyway, congrats and thanks so much for sharing this advice!

Thank you so much! And I’m so close to a 1000 it’s so surreal and exciting! I agree, the WordPress community is one of the nicest and supportive communities out there! I was so pleasantly surprised. I don’t feel like there is a competition or cattiness and we are all raising each other up. It’s so so amazing! Thank you so much for the lovely comment for 💕💕

I read a lot of blog post today eve (yes off course, what is Saturday for☺)
But till now i can say this is best. I don’t know others opnion but by describing your journey you smoothly show a picture what we all bloggers face or failed to choose right thing for our blogs. Nicely written.

Hi! lol im so flattered but I’m not a full time blogger yet! I just started blogging actually but I would love for something like that to happen one day!
Also, I don’t use specific keywords yet. I believe that’s called “SEO” if I’m correct. I can’t do SEO yet because I currently have the free version of WordPress! When I start paying, I’ll definitely look into using keywords to promote my blog! Thanks for the lovely comment and I hope I helped!

Oh man, I REALLY appreciated this post! I started a blog about anxiety and how Jesus has helped me with it 2 years ago exactly, solely to help me write out my thoughts as a form of therapy. I never shared it on social media or interacted with other bloggers or put tags on my posts because I was so shy. Now that I have learned so much and want to take my blog more seriously, I am so appreciative of advice from people like you! I love how your underlying theme in this post was “confidence.” That’s definitely what I need as I continue on this blogging journey. Thanks for this post! 🙂 check out my blog if you can and please critique me haha! http://lovepowerandastrongmind.wordpress.com

Loved your post! I definitely can relate to what’s been said, pretty sure a lot of people have already but thank you for this. I’ve had a blog for years but never really felt confident about the whole aspect of it until now. I guess as time goes on, the confidence will blossom haha. You’re a great blogger 🙂

Man, that’s an amazing milestone! 1000 in one year! You go girl!!! I’m hitting my year mark at the end of October and I have about 60. I’m grateful though. Those 60 could’ve decided not to hit the follow button but there was something that sparked their interest. I think that’s so amazing, the connection made while someone is just being who they are. Anyway, you have an awesome blog, very clean and your pictures have a beautiful quality about them. You should be very proud.

Congratulations in advance for a year too! 👏🏾👏🏾 It’s always amazing to have a community of people that enjoy reading what you post wether they are 60 or 6000! And it’s always an upward trajectory from here! Thank you so much for the lovely comment ❤️❤️

Wow you have gained followers so quickly for only having been actively blogging for three months! I never thought of creating separate social media for my blog. I’m scared of people I know finding my blog so I just don’t really promote it on social media, but this is a great idea! xx

“Its okay to not blog about everything.” Wow. Youre right. As a new blogger myself, a book blogger in particular, I sometimes veer away from my niche. And it costed me! People got confused and left so i think what you have just written there is very important. I cant tell enough how important finding and sticking to a niche!

Blogging has helped me deal with stresses in college life. It has taught me that you know about what your main niche than you thought you did. Blogging has taught you that blogging takes time to get to find followers and be successful

I think a separate account would be better because it makes you more focused on your target audience and sometimes personal posts can be a bit off in the flow of a blogging feed you know? I personally have 2 accounts for my blog and it’s way better for me.

Hello Pearl. After only just starting blogging I feel a bit like a baby blogger too. I never get noticed because I’m on social media detox! And, as said before, I can’t help leaving support on your blog, because it’s so good! You’ve mentioned YouTube before, and are you on it publicly, like your blog? I’d love to know.
Your blog post always have a lot of time and effort put in to them. Mine are just, well, thoughts.
All the best and congrats on bringing up a self-hosted blog!
Jade, ❤️